The Girl Who Found the Well
by Kouga and Sesshy Lover
Summary: May Lee knows Kagome's secret. More suprisingly, she is able to pass through the well, and has inhereted some strange powers. Can she find the answer to her questions? Will she find true love?
1. May Lee

Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own InuYasha, or any other of the characters.

**Chapter One: May Lee**

"Have you _seen_ that new girl?" Yuri, one of Kagome's three stuck-up, popular friends asked her.

"What's wrong with her?" Kagome asked. She looked in the direction of the new school member. She was pretty, or Kagome thought so. Yuri probably thought so too, which might be why she didn't like her. Kagome observed the lonely new girl. She _was_ pretty. She was one of those people that, the longer you looked at them, the more beauty it added to their appearance. Kagome sighed and looked at Yuri, expecting her to start rattling off reasons that there was something wrong with the girl.

"Well, um…" Yuri stuttered, "she's um, too nice."

"How can someone be too nice?" Kagome asked, genuinely confused. She didn't understand, _How can someone be _too_ nice?_ She asked herself.

"Yeah, and, long hair, is _totally_ out. Oh, and, have you seen where she lives? Oh, my, gosh." Yuri continued to bicker, now she was on a roll. Kagome on the other hand, thought she would like the new girl. She looked in her direction one more time, before returning her attention to her non-stop friend.

"I'm going to go make friends with her," Kagome said. Her sweet heart didn't want to see someone so new and alone sitting at a vacant table, and have people like Yuri talk about them and spread rumors about them. While Yuri stood, astonished, mouth open, staring after her, Kagome made her way to the new girl's table.

"Hi," Kagome said cheerily once she'd arrived at the new girl's table. The girl looked startled, but not scared, like Kagome figured she would.

"Hello," the girl responded, as she looked Kagome over skeptically.

"I'm Kagome," Kagome said in a friendly tone. She would have extended her hand to shake in greeting, but this was school. That seemed a little over-rated.

"My name is May Lee," the new girl replied, she too, seemed as if she wished to extend her hand, but didn't. Kagome pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

"So, you're uh, new here, huh?" Kagome said, feeling stupid now.

"Yes, I am," the girl said. Now the girl looked as if she wanted to say something too, start a conversation. "Do, you, um, like dogs?" May Lee asked.

Kagome smiled, then she thought of InuYasha. _I only have to stay for 3 more days, then I can go back to the feudal era. If only I didn't have these stupid tests._ She thought. Then, realizing she still hadn't answered the girl's question, she said, "Yes, very much."

"Me too!" May Lee exclaimed, then, became sort of flushed for being so excited. She put her hands in her lap and played with her fingers to preoccupy herself.

Seeing that the girl was somewhat self conscious, Kagome decided to make her feel more welcome to her new school. "Hey, um, do you want to come over to my house, after school to study or something. I could tell you about all the teacher's little quirks or something…" she said, her hands now in her lap too, pulling on fingers, trying to pop knuckles and what not. Then, she actually popped a finger. _Oww!_ She thought, as a flash of discomfort crossed her face.

"I would like that," May Lee said, and smiled warmly at Kagome. She was the first person to acknowledge her presence in a good way, since she'd gotten off the bus.

When May Lee and Kagome arrived at the Higuashi residence, Kagome opened the door brightly and pointed May Lee toward the comfortable couch. Kagome got some tea for them to drink and sat down next to May Lee on the soft furniture.

"Ok, first things first, you don't have Mr. Lamb for mathematics, do you?" Kagome asked, determined to help May Lee settle into the new school by telling her about the worst teacher ever.

"No…." May Lee said suspiciously, unsure if she wanted to hear what Kagome was about to say if she did have Mr. Lamb. Fortunately, she didn't.

"Oh, good. He's just really mean, and super strict," Kagome explained.

For the next few hours, May Lee and Kagome talked about school, boys, _dogs,_ and much more. When it was time for May Lee to go home, Kagome felt as though she were parting with a sister. She knew so much about this girl already, and liked her very much. It was hard to believe that she had only just met this girl at lunch a few short hours ago. Kagome smiled and thought back to the deep conversation they had had. May Lee had said something like, _"I think I was born in the wrong era. I was meant to live in a feudal era, with gods and goddesses, demons and magical powers. My life is so boring."_ Kagome had never thought she might be taking what she had for granted, and that other people might want a well in their front yard that took them to their favorite time period.

Over the next 2 days, Kagome and May Lee grew close. They were inseparable and Kagome dreaded that she would have to go back to the warring states era so soon. But Kagome knew she couldn't have the best of both worlds.

May Lee sensed a difference in Kagome on the third day. She seemed sad about something, as though she were awaiting something awful to happen. May Lee didn't want to ask about it, so she decided to leave the matter alone.

Kagome wanted to walk home from school that day, instead of riding the bus, so May Lee followed her, just to make sure she would be ok. She was really worried about Kagome at this point. At lunch, she hardly touched her food, and Kagome normally ate all of her lunch eagerly, as if she had been starved.

All along the way home, May Lee walked a safe distance back from Kagome. Though she was pretty sure she could be right beside her, and she would not have noticed. Kagome was in such a daze, May Lee didn't know what to do.

When Kagome got to her house, she walked inside and came back out within a few moments. Her mother, brother and grandfather followed her outside. She hugged each one of them, as if she were saying goodbye. May Lee, taking cover in some bushes, thought this to be somewhat strange. She watched Kagome walk into the temple that was kept on their lands since ancient times, and her family went back into the house.

May Lee watched to see when Kagome would come back out of the temple, but she never did. Curious, she went to investigate. Seeing that there was no trace of Kagome, or anything else, in the temple, May Lee looked around. _Could something have happened to her?_ She thought. May Lee saw the well in the center of the small hut like shack, not very fit to be called a temple. The only thing she could think of, was that Kagome fell down the well. There was nothing else in there. May Lee walked over the well and leaned over to peer inside. She wanted to see if Kagome could lay, hurt or injured at the bottom.

Seeing only blackness, May Lee swung a leg over one side of the well, then the other. Gingerly, May Lee used the rusty old latter rungs to climb to the bottom. Suddenly, an unstable, extra rusty rung snapped. _Pop!_ Then May Lee found herself falling, down, down. She covered her head with her arms and shut her eyes, expecting to land on the hard floor with a loud thump. She found that she had been falling for far too long to have not hit the bottom by now.

She opened her shut eyes, which un-wrinkled her face. She saw she was surrounded by a blue light, then, she was on the ground, at the bottom of the well. She looked up, and saw no temple roof over her head, but instead, a blue sky. _What's going on here?_ May Lee wondered. She used some vines and rusty ladder rungs to climb out, but she managed to find her way to the top. As she pulled herself out of the well, he eyes and whole being was filled with awe.


	2. Girl or Goddess?

Disclaimer: I don not in any way, shape or form own InuYasha or any other characters.

**Chapter Two: Girl or Goddess?**

May Lee climbed out of the well without much effort. The vines that hung down into the well, like an over-grown plant, were quite sturdy, and easy to climb. When May Lee reached the top of the well, she swung a leg over the side, then the other. She pushed off the side, and landed lightly upon the soft turf. She knelt down, to examine the grass. It was not like that of which was growing in Kagome's yard. She stood up, slowly and cautiously. She looked about her surroundings, and something caught her eye. There was what seemed like a small village not more than a mile away. May Lee started in that direction, hoping to find some clue as to where she was.

She felt so confused, and as if the earth agreed with her, a dense fog settled over the lands very suddenly. _How strange._ May Lee thought, because wherever she looked, the fog was cut, and she could see clearly. _Maybe it's some sort of enchanted fog…_ she thought. May Lee, who had no problem believing something magical could happen, as long as she had proof. Well, this was plenty of proof. As she looked about, she caught sight of the village again. She decided to walk through the forest that lay before, it was the shortest, most protected route. Or, she thought so.

As May Lee walked through the forest, she found it eerily quiet. There was no sound other than the leaves, crunching beneath her feet. She decided that there might be predators lurking about, since she had no idea of where she was exactly. So she bent down and took off her shoes. This way, she could walk less noisily, plus, if she so happened to need protection, she was prepared to hurl a clog at the attacker.

May Lee approached the village quicker than she expected. Still hidden in the trees, May Lee observed the village. She noticed that the people here wore old clothing. It wasn't hand-me-down old either, it was, _old fashioned_. May Lee thought with excitement and a little bit of fear, that she was in a different time. She looked about the forest floor for any clue of the times she was actually in. May Lee, having an extreme liking for earth and anything about it, knew most plants of her time, and other eras as well. She knelt down to examine a flower that she had never seen before, not in her time anyway. She remembered reading a book once, about feudal Japan, this particular species of flower was mentioned quite a few times. _I'm in…..could it be? Am I, in the….warring states era?_ May Lee thought, and a joy filled her. She was surprised to see that she was not the least bit afraid, and didn't seem to care if she didn't know why, or how, she got here. All she knew was that she was in her favorite time of being. Most people wouldn't be excited by this, but May Lee was. She was a dreamer, and she didn't know how many times she had daydreamed during boring math lectures about the different ways she could go back to the feudal era.

Suddenly, May Lee's stomach let out a low, threatening grumble. Aware of the situation, May Lee knew she had to find somewhere to go, or something to eat. She didn't know how long she had sat there, stunned, her heart racing, thoughts swirling through her head. She stood now, and looked about. It was nearly dusk, and she had not eaten since breakfast this morning. She took to a particularly wide tree, and hid behind it to spy on the villagers. Although she probably could have hidden about 3 or 4 of her behind the tree, she chose to stay behind this one. She had this sort of unspoken respect for suck an awesome, mighty figure.

Looking down on the village, May Lee noticed a man, with long, white hair. He was clothed in a red material, and looked fierce and strong. With him stood another man, in black and purple robes, who carried a staff at his side. Perched on the second man's shoulder was what looked to be a small fox. Standing beside them was a girl, probably May Lee's age, maybe a little older, dressed in a tight body suit. Over her shoulder, she carried a massive boomerang, and May Lee wondered how the girl could manage to bear it's weight. Then, from out of a hut nearby, came an old woman, and at her side was….Kagome! _Kagome acts as if there's nothing wrong…. Does she visit the feudal eras often?_ May Lee wondered. Then, she remembered that Kagome's grandfather always said that Kagome had some sort of illness when she wasn't present at school. Though May Lee had never heard Kagome's grandfather say anything, and had only met him once, she had heard the rumors that floated about the hallways of their high school. Last week Kagome had the measles, the bubonic plague, the small pox. All very deadly diseases. It all made sense to May Lee now… Kagome had to do something here in the feudal era, though May Lee did not yet know what.

Just then, a gust of wind kicked up. May Lee's long, silky hair was blown into her face, blinding her vision momentarily. When she had managed to keep the hair from her eyes, and looked down to the village, the man in red was gone, and the others were hurrying into the hut that Kagome and the old woman had just come from. Assuming that the man in red was already in the hut, May Lee turned around, with the intent to search for food, or shelter for the night. Tomorrow, she would go to the village.

When she turned, May Lee was surprised to see the man of red in front of her, he held a huge sword, that looked impossible to fit into the small sheath that hung upon his waist.

"Who has sent you here to spy upon us? Naraku? I am sick of your tricks!" the inu-hanyou yelled at her in rage, and lifted his sword above his head.

"I do not know of whom you speak, and I was not spying on you!" May Lee shouted back with almost as much violence.

Stunned for a moment by the girl's ferventness, InuYasha stood still. But, he was jolted back to reality by the girl's movement. She was running away. He couldn't let her get away, what if she had heard them? He doubted she had, looking to be a mortal girl, but if she had, and she told Naraku, he would know that tomorrow at sunrise, they were going to leave in search of the Shikon Jewel again, and where they planned to search. InuYasha quickly put Tetsuiga back in the sheath and ran after her. She was fast for a mortal, but no match for a yokoui as strong as himself. They were now in a clearing, almost like a pastureland.

"You coward. You run away before the battle has begun. Typical of one of Naraku's slaves," the hanyou spat in disgust.

"I do not know the 'Naraku' that you're talking about, or why you think I am one of his slaves! Leave me be!" May Lee screamed at him once more.

"Humph. Fat chance," InuYasha muttered before he launched into attack.

May Lee tried to jump back, away from the death–seeking sword, but stumbled and fell backwards. She put her hands out and screamed, expecting the worst, but a green light shot from her hands. She looked up to see InuYasha getting up, from where he had obviously fallen down and rub his head.

"What the hell…?" InuYasha grumbled before returning his focus to the girl, who was also getting up. She stood there, shaking, as though she were frightened by her own self. She looked at her hands in disbelief and looked up to see a very angry inu-hanyou glaring at her.

"Leave me alone…" she warned him. She didn't know what she might do if just a bit of fear had made this extremely powerful demon fall back.

"Tell me what you are," InuYasha demanded.

"I SAID, **LEAVE ME ALONE!**" she shouted at him, her voice ringing in the silence of the meadow they stood in. Her face was red with anger and the earth began to tremble.

InuYasha lost his footing, underneath the shaking earth. He laid there, helpless, looking up at the girl who had caused the earth to quake.

She saw the helplessness in the hanyou's eyes, a look almost of desperation, and she instantly felt sorry for him. She stood standing, for around her, the earth didn't move an inch. The shaking slowed and finally stopped. Once it had, May Lee looked around at the destruction that she had caused. She turned and fled, her long hair waving behind her. InuYasha dared not to go after her. A woman of that power could not be battled if she didn't know how to control her own powers.

InuYasha went back to the village thinking. _How could a simple girl cause and earthquake? She had the powers of….of a….goddess. Could she have the lost powers of Etlanshina, the earth goddess?_


	3. Discoveries

Disclaimer: I do not own in any way, shape or form, InuYasha or any of the other characters.

**Chapter 3: Discoveries**

_What happened back there?_ May Lee thought as she continued to walk. She had passed several meadows and creeks by now, her hunger and fatigue long forgotten. She looked down at her hands, astonished. Had she done all that? Or was it a coincidence? The man in red seemed to think it was her, but he also thought she was some slave to a…Naraku? Yes, that was what he said.

May Lee figured she'd better see what else she could do, if she wanted to control any sort of powers that she had. She thought a moment. _I caused an earthquake, with my anger…. Maybe it's the earthen element that I get my 'power' from.._ May Lee had no idea how long she thought, and stared, almost afraid to try anything.

Finally, she stood, her hands shaking, she threw them forward, as she had to protect herself earlier. The powerful green light flashed from her palms, and she quickly drew her hands back. _Well, there's one thing._ She thought, and tried something else. _When I had gotten mad, I caused an earthquake, maybe I should try another emotion…_ May Lee thought, and remembered how it had gotten foggy and hazy when she had been so confused and stupefied. Now, she thought of a sad memory. She remembered the day they came, she heard the screams ringing in her ears. She saw the swords flashing, the pools of blood. She felt the fear and the cold planks of wood under her, as she hid under the floor. She felt the shake as the men walked on the floor above, and felt the blood drip onto her shoulder from the cracks in the floor.

Brought back to the present by the cold and wetness around her, May Lee opened her eyes to see rain pouring from the sky. Her face, streaked with tears and rain, was filled with anguish, which quickly turned to anger. She stood, her long hair soaked, as were her clothes and shoes. She raised one hand, as a result, lightning poured from the sky. She decided she needed to stop, she shouldn't change the weather so unaccordingly.

May Lee felt she was being watched. Slowly she turned, her face expressionless, to face a man. He was dressed in white robes, and looked somewhat similar to the man who attacked her earlier. _What was I thinking? Sure, go ahead, make rain and hail from nowhere, and flash some green light while you're at it, no one would notice… I am so naive._ May Lee thought, angry at herself for drawing such attention to herself. "You didn't….see _that_ did you?" May Lee said inquired, not wanting to draw more attention to herself than she already had.

Sesshomarou eyed the girl suspiciously. It was true, he had seen her battle InuYasha, seemingly, against her will. She had sent that useless half-breed running, yet, she had no feeling of triumph about her. He had also seen her experiment with her abilities for the past several hours. He said nothing, this inexperienced ningen had no right to such powers of those that she had come to possess.

Seeing that the man would do nothing, she turned and began to walk away. She would find shelter, and she must find it quickly. She began to walk back to the village, where she hoped to find refuge until morning.

Sesshomaru watched her go, he had no desire to chase some ignorant ningen through the wilderness. He would follow her, and watch her carefully, waiting for the perfect time to carry out his plan. If only he could get the ningen, with her unexplained earthen powers, to battle InuYasha, she could kill him off, and he could save his energy for Naraku.

May Lee awoke the next morning, just as the sun peaked the horizon. She remembered where she was instantly. She looked around the room she was in, toward the kind woman, who slept on the floor next to her. A gentle hearted widower had taken her in the night before. May Lee looked around the room, she was obviously very poor. She had no bed, and last night, the meal she had received was little more than a salad. But May Lee was grateful for the woman's generosity.

May Lee got up, and began to fold up the old, musty blankets that the woman had given her to sleep on. She stowed them away neatly, and began to rummage through the kitchen. She found nothing, and decided she would try her luck with hunting. She decided it would be fair payment for the shear kindness the woman had showed her. Assuming that the woman, who was quite old, couldn't hunt for herself. May Lee found an old, rusty spear in a closet, which no doubt, once belonged to her husband. Taking the spear and leaving the hut quietly, May Lee went in search of food.

Walking in the opposite direction as before, May Lee climbed and descended several hills. She came to a valley, with a peaceful stream running through it, and decided to stop and rest. After walking for nearly three hours, and finding no trace of game at all, May Lee was bored, tired, and hungry. She crouched down by the stream, and dipped her hands into the cool water. Bringing her hands up to her mouth, she drank for a long while.

She stood, ready to turn back, but in her path was a horse. He was a fine stallion, whose coat shimmered like fire in the sun. He tossed his dished head as if he were inquiring what she was doing here. She looked around, to see if he had a band of mares, or followers. Seeing none, May Lee came to conclude that this stallion was a bachelor. She held out her hand, and took a step closer. She half expected the horse to run, being wild. She felt a strange, instant fondness of this animal, and she took a few more steps toward it. Never dropping her gaze from the horse's wonderful, mysterious eyes, she slowly approached. When she was close enough to feel the animal's breath on her still extended hand, May Lee stopped advancing. She may not know a lot about wild animals, but she knew they had to trust you as well. She stood there, close enough to touch a wild stallion, with her hand extended. She wondered if it had anything to do with her earthly powers…

"Ttt-ttt, shhh, It's ok, I won't hurt you…" May Lee whispered to the animal. The stallion, however, did not seem frightened. He nudged her shoulder, so May Lee took this as a sign of affection. Suddenly, the stallion bolted, and halted about 15 feet away. May Lee followed the horse's gaze to the forest, but saw nothing. Feeling uneasy, May Lee picked up the spear from where she dropped it, without knowing it. May Lee headed back to the village, but wasn't worried about not seeing the firey stallion again. They would meet again. She knew it.


	4. Conan

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own InuYasha or any other characters.

**Chapter Four: Conan**

When May Lee walked back into the widow's hut, she found the woman awake, standing by the stove.

"I am glad ye has awakened, though, I must admit, I was surprised to find ye gone," the woman spoke, not turning to look at the girl who stood in the doorway. She continued to stir the soup over the kettle fire.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, I just went to look for some food," May Lee said earnestly.

The widow waved her hand, as if to dismiss the whole subject. "Did ye find any meat?"

"No, I didn't, I'm sorry. I wanted to ask you a question though," May Lee informed and inquired.

"Go ahead, child," the widow replied patiently.

"I walked east," May Lee paused, to make sure that it was indeed east that the had traveled. She looked out the window, that was the direction that the sun was rising from. "Yes, east, and I saw a horse. Are there wild horses around here?"

"Ahhh, child. Describe the four legger you saw to me," the widow said, looking up from the stew briefly to read the young girl's expression.

"He was mighty. The color of flames. He walked about like a king, and his mane resembled a fire itself. I don't think he lead a band though, for I saw no other horses around," May Lee explained.

At this, the woman stopped. She took the pot off of the fire, and began to pour it into some bowls. She talked as she did. "If I am correct, the horse ye have described to me is Conan, the horse of flame. There is legend through these parts that he once belonged to a powerful goddess, and her powers keep him from aging. Even now, long after she's gone." The woman handed May Lee a bowl and motioned for her to sit and eat. The girl sat obediently and quickly, wanting the woman to go on. In her haste, the spear at her side was pushed deep into the skin on her arm.

"Ow!" May Lee yelped in pain. She pulled her other arm across her chest to hold the fresh wound. Her hand was quickly covered in blood.

"Dear child, have ye no balance?" the widow said in mock chastisement. Though she put her soup down and leaned over to the girl. She looked at the wound, the cut deep, and clean. "I need to take ye straight to Kaeade's hut, for she will take good care of you."

"Please tell me more, this is nothing but a simple scratch, I will see the doctor later, please?" May Lee begged, trying to hide the pain on her face.

The woman touched the wound, and May Lee winced. "A simple scratch, ye say?" Leaving no room for May Lee to make excuses or protest, the woman continued. "Ye speak nonsense. I will take ye to Lady Kaeade."

Seeing that this was a battle not to be won, the girl submitted. She followed the widow out of the hut, and onto the busy street. Though just a few short minutes ago, all had been desolate. She looked the street up and down, and noticed the girl she had seen yesterday from the forest. She also saw the man in black and purple robes. It seemed to May Lee that the girl was attacking the man. She slapped his cheek, where there was now a large red mark, and was hitting him on the head with her oversized boomerang.

As they entered the dark hut, which May Lee assumed belonged to 'Lady Kaeade', the woman turned to her. "This is where I will leave ye. Kaeade is sure to take very good care of your wound."

May Lee nodded her head and with that, the woman left.

May Lee sat comfortably on the floor, Indian style. She felt hot, and dizzy. She didn't know if it was the change in lighting, or temperature. She was settling down, when an old woman walked in. She presumed that this was 'Lady Kaeade'.

"Do ye have a wound I need to tend to?" the woman asked, in a welcoming tone.

"Oh, uh….yeah," May Lee moved her hand away from her arm and revealed her gash.

Kaeade made a tsking noise with her tongue and knelt down to May Lee's level. She examined the wound quickly and got up to fetch some herbs. When she returned, she probed the wound gentley with her fingers.

"This looks as though it may be infected, what was it that gave you this wound?" the woman questioned.

"Uh, an old spear. I guess it might have had rust on it…' May Lee tried to explain.

"Oi, child, you need to rest. This may become deadly, if not treated properly," the woman reasoned.

"How long do I need to rest? I was hoping to find Conan…." May Lee said, but let her voice trail off, she didn't want this woman to think her crazy for chasing ghost horses.

"Ye must stay here, 3 nights," the woman said assertively, there would be no negotiating. "Now, is this Etlanshina's horse, Conan, that you seek child?" the woman said, dismissing the whole chance that May Lee had of defending her reasons to leave.

"I guess. The widow that I am staying with said that the horse I saw this morning was once a goddess's, and his name was Conan. He looked like fire, he was beautiful," May Lee replied.

Kaeade prepared a pallet on the floor, and took some cloth to wrap the cut in. She came back to where May Lee sat, and began to tightly wrap the bandage, she spoke as she did. "Indeed. The horse that you speak has roamed the hills and valleys east of here for many years, though he does not age. Etlanshia, the earth goddess that widow Kimar has told ye about. He is kept alive by her lost powers, and therefore, is ageless."

May Lee winced as the bandage was tightened, and struggled to get up, where Kaeade ushered her to the fixed pallet. The old woman continued, "Why is it that you seek this horse, Conan?"

"I saw him, in the valleys east of this village. I don't know why, I feel so…. connected…..to him. Why, if I can ask, would the goddess make her horse live for eternities, without her?" May Lee replied.

"Etlanshia made a promise to Conan, as they were very close. She promised that at her death, she would release her powers, and the one who gained them, would find him, and free his wandering soul." Kaeade explained.

"Oh." May Lee said, absently, as she settled herself into the pallet. "Do you know where Kagome is?" May Lee remembered. She wanted to at least figure out why she was here, how she could get back, or what it was she needed to do. Obviously, she was brought here for a reason.

"Kagome-sama? How do you know Kagome?" Kaeade said, a little taken aback.

"Well, uh, we go to the same school…" May Lee said, she didn't want to mention the well, and exposed Kagome's secret.

"Then ye came from the future era that Kagome did as well?" Kaeade asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, I did," May Lee said, since the woman already knew about the well, and it's enchantment.

"How did ye get through? I thought only Kagome and InuYasha could travel through the well." Kaeade observed.

"I just sorta, fell in, then, when I got out, I was here." May Lee said, angry that she knew nothing about why she was here or what she needed to do.

"Strange, well, I shall explain to you about the well, and Kagome, the Shikon Jewel, and such things ye will need to know," Kaeade offered her knowledge generously.

While Kaeade explained about Kagome, Kikyou's reincarnation, and the well, made of the tree of ages, and about InuYasha, and the trick that Naraku had preformed, it grew dark outside. Near the end of her explanation, Kaeade was interrupted by Miroku and Sango, coming into the hut.

Not very surprised to see a patient in Kaeade's hut, Sango went over to the pallet that she usually slept on (farthest from Miroku's and nearest to Shippo and Kagome's) and set her Hirakos down. Miroku, however, made his way to the beautiful maiden, sitting by Lady Kaeade.

"Maiden, may I ask your name?" Miroku said as he sat down next to May Lee.

"My name is May Lee. You are…?"

"I am Miroku, a monk known to these parts. I have a proposition for you. Would you do me the honor of bearing my children?" Miroku said with great confidence.

There was a _smack!_ and a _thunk!_ Miroku rubbed his cheek, where he had gotten smacked by May Lee, and his head, where he had been hit by Sango's Hirakos.

"Ugh…" were the only words Miroku could utter at the moment.

Then, Kagome and InuYasha walked into the hut as well. Instantly, InuYasha was set in a glare at the girl on the floor, while Kagome rushed to meet her.

"May Lee –chan! How did you get here!" Kagome said, sheer joy lit her face.

"I…err…well, see, I uh, saw you go into the temple, and you didn't come out. So I went in after you and you weren't there and so, I started climbing down the well and a ladder rung snapped, and I fell, and then I was here, and he attacked me." She said in a ruch of words, gasping for breath, after gesturing to InuYasha about her last statement.

"You wench-" InuYasha started, but Kagome cut him off.

"How did you get through? I didn't know anyone but me and InuYasha could get through the well…"

While Kaeade and May Lee took turns explaining what had happened, and about the lost powers of Etlanshina, (with a few protests from InuYasha) Sesshomaroudesigned his planfor the destruction of InuYasha from afar. He could not let these ningens and InuYasha ruin his plan. Victory would be his, with InuYasha out of the picture.


	5. Kidnapped

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own Inuyasha or any of the other characters.

**Chapter 5: Kidnapped**

Dark spruce forest frowned on either side of the frozen waterway. The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean toward each other, black and ominous, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the land. The land itself was desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness. There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness – a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of he Sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the firmness of infallibility. It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity, laughing at the futility of life, and the effort of life. It was the Wild, the savage, frozen, Northland Wild.

But there _was_ life, abroad in the land and defiant. Down the frozen waterway toiled a string of wolves. Their bristly fur was rimed with frost. Their breath froze in the air as if left their mouths, spouting forth in spumes of vapor that settled upon the hair of their bodies and formed into crystals of frost.

Among the wolves walked and army of fierce wolf youkai. Dressed in animal furs, which they had no doubt killed ruthlessly. These wolven demons were not that of which any had seen before.

The fiercest and gruffest one of them all, perched upon a frozen rock, spoke to the numerous soldiers before him. "Tomorrow, we will reach the lands where the water flows, and the grass breaks the snow. In the morning, we will attack! These wolves who called themselves our brothers, that of the eastern kingdoms. We shall leave none alive. Kill every living creature. Kill the pups, mothers, maidens, and most of all, the warriors. Save the wolf prince for me." His stern voice rung off of the pure trees, their coated innocence tainted by his sinister.

"Lord, how will we know which one of the warriors is the prince that you seek?" asked a particularly rough looking warrior.

"The prince that I will slay has powers like no other. He runs so quickly, he creates a tornado. I have a brilliant plan though. I have learned, from a demon who calls himself Sesshomarou, that the prince I seek is very fond of a mortal girl. The demon has proven useful, for tomorrow, we will kidnap the girl called Kagome, and use her as bait for the wolf prince," the northern wolf pack leader explained. He let a baleful chuckle, laughing in his own menace.

May Lee had been taking daily walks to get exercise and explore. She set out early in the morning, like she had when she had gone hunting. She silently got up, muffling the cry of pain she yearned to release. She stiffly walked to the door, and pushed aside the bamboo curtains. She began to walk easterly, as she had the first day, hoping to see Conan again. She stopped and turned around to see a flash of red dodge behind a nearby cargo wagon.

"What do you want?" May Lee said to InuYasha, as he came out of his hiding place, knowing she had seen him.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't gonna do anything stupid, like go chasing after that horse," InuYasha said gruffly.

"It's not like I'm your responsibility. You don't have to play bodyguard," May Lee said, trying to be courteous, but was becoming slightly annoyed.

"Keh. Yeah right. If you're gonna travel with us, you're my responsibility, whether you like it or not," InuYasha retorted, even though he didn't know what a 'bodyguard' was.

"I am going to look for Conan, and I would prefer if you didn't follow me."

"Tough."

May Lee looked at him sharply and said in a strained voice, "Fine, follow. See if I care. Just stay away, I don't want you to scare Conan."

InuYasha said nothing, but rolled his eyes. With that, the girl walked on, and InuYasha stayed a good 300 feet back. He could easily cover that much ground in two leaps. Just as he was about to start after her, he heard Kagome's voice.

"InuYasha? Where are you?"

InuYasha stopped, so did May Lee. She turned and gave him a challenging look. The inu-hanyou's ears flickered to catch every last morsel of the heavenly sound emitted from Kagome's mouth.

"I guess I'm gonna stay," InuYasha mumbled briefly to May Lee and leaped eagerly back to Kagome.

May Lee said nothing but turned back to the east and began to jog.

When she reached the creek that she had the two days before, she stopped again to get a quick drink. She let the water run down her chin and dribble a little on her shirt. She looked up to see Conan standing before her. She didn't know how he came to her so quietly, without hearing the soft plod of his hooves. This time, he didn't hesitate to approach her this time. She stood and ran her hand along his sleek neck. He didn't seem to be frightened, or uneasy at all. She stroked his mighty, bulging neck, hard with muscle, and let her hands wonder to his back. She wanted to spring upon his back and ride him to the end of the earth.

Conan turned to face her, and somehow, someway, she knew it was okay. She grabbed some of his thick mane with her hands and leaped upon his back. Steadying herself with her hands, she nudged him with her heels, signaling his go.

Conan sprang into a light gallop, May Lee settled low on his neck. She knew that this was how it was supposed to be. She was so ecstatic, she had never felt happiness like this before. She felt the blood, rushing through her body, the pounding of her heart, the thunder of Conan's mighty hooves beneath her.

May Lee was so caught up in her ecstasy, that she had lost track of where she was going. Conan slowed when they reached a forest, but this was a different forest of that in which she had ventured out of by the well. She looked around, and sat up straighter, faintly sad though that the wind wasn't whipping in her face from Conan's speed anymore.

May Lee dismounted, and landed with a small thump on the ground. Unaware that she was being watched, May Lee began to wander around. She noticed that the plants in this forest were not as unique or colorful as those in the other one she had seen. Conan followed obediently behind her, but spooked at a twig snap. May Lee spun around quickly to see about fifty men behind her. They all looked very ferocious, and carried spears or swords.

May Lee backed away from them a few steps, before she bumped into Conan. Quickly, she mounted and clucked. Conan could outrun any human easily, she knew, but it was the spears that worried May Lee, for she didn't want to bring any harm to her beloved horse.

Conan rushed through the men, and out of the forest. He leaped over several fallen men, and knocked through the ones in his way, as if they were simple bowling pins. Once out of the forest, Conan and May Lee were breathing heavily. As Conan continued to rocket forward, a tall, gruff looking man stood in their path with a bow and arrow. He aimed directly for Conan's heart, and fired. Conan, sensing danger to his rider, reared quickly, maneuvering his body to block the arrow from hitting May Lee.

With a dreadful cry, one that would make anyone's hair stand on end, Conan fell to his knees. May Lee scrambled off of Conan's back, and crawled to his head. Conan, who was now on one side, moaning in pain, looked at May Lee, with hope, and love – pure love -in his eyes. May Lee cradled the horse's head in her arms and sobbed quietly, allowing silent tears to streak her cheeks.

May Lee saw a movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see what it was. The man – the man who had killed her beloved horse – was coming at her. May Lee gently laid the lifeless head of Conan on the soft earth. She stood, the sorrow that once blinded her eyes was clouded by anger. She turned to face the man and held out her right palm.

"You beast! Look at what you have done! Have you no heart?" May Lee screamed at him, and released the power in her hand.

Instantly, the man was knocked back, where he lay, and did not get up, though breath still came from him. The surrounding men, who had formed a circle around May Lee and Conan, looked from one to another. They assumed the best way to handle this, was to attack her at once, before she could run, or worse, kill them off one by one.

As the circle of men got smaller, and they closed in, May Lee stood, unsure whether she should attack, or try to escape. Surely the could hunt her down, so she braced herself for the light in her hand. Then, the men, seeing that she was ready to battle, rushed in, yelling and drawing their swords, or readying their spears.

May Lee opened the palm of her hand, and the green light was shot at the attackers in front of her. She spun around to see more men coming through the far valley, as if the numbers that they had weren't enough. _Great, just great._ May Lee thought bitterly.

Without warning, a side attacker, who possessed more speed than she would have expected from his stout body, threw his spear, aiming for her heart. Fortunately, his aim was not too impressive, but the blood thirsty spear found its way to the tender flesh in her leg. May Lee cried out in pain and rage, closing her hand around the wound.

From the trees leaped a massive youkai, and fought back the advancing warriors. He stepped in front of her, blocking her from the viscous warriors.

"You idiots! I told you I wanted her alive!" the man yelled in fury.

He scooped her up carelessly and bound through the stopped demons. May Lee bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain as his arm brushed her new wound.

"What do you want with me?" May Lee asked the man, with more courage than she thought she had in her.

The man grunted, but said nothing. They continued to run through some forests and meadows that she was unfamiliar with. She began to wonder how this man could have enough strength and power to carry her, and run at an amazing speed. The pines and evergreens whizzed by, in flashes of green.She remembered how when she first met InuYasha, he too, also traveled with amazing speed. Kagome had said something about InuYasha being a half demon, so maybe this man too, was a half demon. She didn't know how to tell the difference between a half demon and a full demon, so May Lee wasn't sure which one this guy was.

As they continued to travel, May Lee wondered when they were going to stop. They must have traveled countless miles, because now, it was beginning to get cold, and some light sleet was falling. Within a few more minutes, the man stopped abruptly and dropped her carelessly. May Lee landed with a _thump!_ and struggled to get to her feet. Her leg throbbed and she felt a little dizzy.

As soon as the dizziness had passed, May Lee ran after the man who had brought her here, who was kneeling down by a small creek. Actually, it was more like a trickle of water.

"What do you want with me?" May Lee demanded once again.

"You, are to lure the wolf prince from the east here. Then, we will slaughter him and his men, sound like a plan?" the man retorted, obviously trying to scare her.

"I don't know a wolf prince of the east that you're talking about. So, you'd better take me back," May Lee said, very huffy like, trying to hide the growing fear inside of her. _If I'm just bait, then, won't they just kill me too, when they don't need me anymore?_

"Don't play dumb. We know all about you and the prince, and how he has fallen in love with you, though I don't know why. So, don't try to get out of this," the man said briskly, before getting up and pushing her out of his way. She watched him as he walked away, before she too, knelt down to get something to drink.

_Why do they need me? I don't know any wolf princes…. Why would they want me as bait?_


	6. Kouga

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form, own Inuyasha or any of the other characters.

**Chapter Six: Kouga**

Kagome walked back into Kaeade's hut, expecting to see May Lee laying on the floor, comfortably on her pallet. Instead, she came back to an empty hut, with no sign of anyone at all. That's weird. She thought.

"Hello? Kaeade? Miroku, Sango, Shippo?" Kagome called.

Seeing that no one was there, Kagome was frightened.

"Inu…Yasha?"

Kagome walked quickly out of the hut and around to the back of the house, where she saw a common sight. Sango's cheeks were flushed, and Miroku had a huge, red, handprint on his face.

"Keep your hands to yourself, PERVERT!" Sango raged.

Kagome sighed, and turned back around, she would leave them to their peace. Kagome started back to the Sacred Tree, where she and Inuyasha first met. Gingerly, she sat down on one of the mighty roots. She put her face in her hands, and looked about. She was so bored. Normally, she couldn't get bored in the feudal era, between gathering shards and escaping demons, there wasn't enough time to get bored. But, since they decided that May Lee should help them find the jewel shards, they had to stay here, and wait for her shoulder to heal. Then, Kagome remembered.

_Where is May Lee? If she's not in Kaeade's hut, and not with Miroku and Sango, where could she be?_ Kagome wondered. Then, she realized that Inuyasha wasn't anywhere to be seen either. _Oh, no. I hope they aren't trying to kill each other!_ She thought, before springing to her feet and running for the town trade market. Kaeade always went there once a week, to get more herbs and such, which was where Kagome hoped that she was. If she wasn't, Kagome didn't know how she would find Inuyasha, or May Lee.

Meanwhile...

May Lee rose to her feet, and wiped the water from her face. She clutched her thigh, where the spear had met her flesh. The man who had brought her here, seemed to be looking for something. He had his nose in the air, taking deep breaths.

"We're leaving. It's time," he said briskly without even turning to glance at her.

May Lee began to hobble after the man, who set a very fast pace. In about three minutes, the man was already about fifty yards ahead. "Hey, wait up!" May Lee hollered.

The man stopped and slowly turned toward her. "Ningen," he muttered under his breath. He walked back to where she was limping toward him, and picked her up. Then, just as the day before, he began to run. He seemed to be in more of a hurry today, for he was making haste. May Lee didn't dare say anything.

May Lee guessed that they had be traveling for about half an hour before they stopped. Again, the man dropped her, without a care, on the ground. This time, May Lee was a little more prepared. She still landed with a thump on the ground, but she was able to support a little of her own body weight upon her hands. She stumbled to her feet once more.

"Where are we?" she asked, her hand applying light pressure on her leg wound.

"No matter," he said curtly, and to May Lee's surprise, continued to speak, "You will stay on that cliff up there," he said, and pointed to a nearby cliff. "You are to stay there as bait, for the wolf prince. Then, when he comes to get you, my master will attack him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," May Lee said matter-of-factly.

The man ignored her, and continued to talk to her. "Don't even think about running away up there, cause we'll all be down here, waiting for you." He said, still trying to scare her.

"If you think you can scare me into obedience, you got another thing coming mister," May Lee objected.

"I have had enough of your foolishness! Shut up!" the man yelled at her. He raised his fist to strike her, and May Lee put her hands in front of her face, to protect herself. Without thinking, the green light was emitted from her palm. As the man fell back, May Lee uncovered her face, and saw what she had done. She ran over to where the man lay, and hovered over his lifeless body.

"Are you okay?" she asked, knowing that he wasn't. "Say something!"

The dead man said nothing, so May Lee ran. He said _'we'll all be down here, waiting for you'_ meaning that more men were coming. Now was her chance for freedom. May Lee hobbled in the direction that they came from, hoping to find a village with someone to take her back to her friends. She turned, to see, yet another man, standing in her path. _Oh, no, they're already here._ May Lee thought. She looked around quickly, to see if there were any more warriors, but she saw only this one.

"Leave me alone…" she warned him warily. She extended her fisted hand, ready to unleash the green light. She attacked first, releasing the green light. The man dodged the ray easily, with much more speed than the man who had brought her here. In an instant, the man was behind her, and had grabbed her wrist. Closing her hand, and cutting off the light source, May Lee struggled to get free. She squirmed for a moment, before the speedy wolf demon let her go. May Lee fell back, because of the lack of force holding her up, and winced as she hit the hard ground with a thud!

"Tell me who you are," the man said simply.

May Lee, seeing that, since this man had such amazing speed, he would dodge any attack she made. Stupefied for a moment, May Lee looked at the man blankly. He made a move to pull her up off the ground, and instantly, May Lee was awakened from her daze. She scurried out of his reach, and pulled herself to her feet. She looked around nervously, and decided to make a run for it. She ran into the opposite woods, toward the cliff that the other man had indicated would be where she would stay.

The man followed her calmly. He didn't display any amazing speed, since all anyone would have to do was walk, to keep up with her. As May Lee limped away from him frantically, she found herself at the base of the cliff. It didn't look like a hard climb, just a rocky one. Since it was just a mere slope, May Lee decided to take her chances and try to climb it. She scrambled over rocks and paused a moment to comfort her burning hands and fingers. Even though they weren't bleeding, it reminded May Lee of the time she first tried to ride a bike, and fell off. They stung, but did not bleed. May Lee then saw the man advancing and continued her hurried journey up the rocky mound.

May Lee slipped several times. She was almost at the top, when her foot slid off of a jagged rock, and her foot was wedged between two rocks. May Lee jerked her foot, but it only made matters worse. If anything, her foot was stuck tighter than it had been in the first place. She looked up to see the man coming, which made her pull harder at her ankle. She pushed and pulled at the rocks, trying to move them, but they were too heavy, or they would crush her foot in the process. The man was nearer now, less than 30 feet away. May Lee frantically pulled and tugged at the rocks, desperately trying to free her foot. When she had almost lost all hope, May Lee's body was still. Frozen by fear, May Lee couldn't move.

The man stood above her now, looking down on her. He knelt down to her level, and looked directly into her eyes. He took a deep whiff, memorizing her scent. She smelled...good...almost pleasurable. She looked like Kagome, and dressed like her too. Though the girl wasn't wearing her school uniform, she wasn't dressed like someone that belonged in this era. Kouga lifted the rock off of her foot easily before he scooped her up.

May Lee was still terrified, and didn't stuggle to ecstricate herself from the demon's arms. She was tired, her leag hurt, and the man didn't seem that he wanted to hurt her. The demon started to run, even though the other man was fast, he was no comparison to this man's speed. The trees flashed by, in a blur of various shades of green. Within minutes, the man slowed, which made May Lee look up.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked, coming slowly out of her dazed state.

"We're here," the man replied, and that was all he said. His tone held a certain definality, a very precise sort of stableness.

May Lee looked around, but did not recognize her surroundings, though that was what she expected. She supposed there was a small hope inside of her that the man might be taking her back to Kaeade's hut. As she looked around, May Lee noticed that there was a small waterfall and a pool at the bottom. Up above them, about 50 feet, there was a hole in the mountainside. It looked to be a cave, and since there was a man that just walked out of the crag, May Lee assumed it was a den of some sort.

"Where are we?" May Lee asked, curious.

"My harem," the man responded, short and terse, just as all his other comments had been.

In one massive leap, they were at the entrance of the cave. How can a man jump fifty feet from a stand still? Why does it even matter if he was standing still? How can a man jump fifty feet anyway? Thoughts swirled through May Lee's head, but she was brought back to reality by a sharp pang in her leg, from where Kouga had set her down, so she was left to support her own weight.

Two women approached them, dressed in furs and skins of various animals, like the man who brought her here. Though the man had thick, hard armor on, he still wore furs. The man motioned the women to hurry over.

"She's hurt," he said while gesturing to May Lee. "Help her." was all he said.

"Yes Lord Kouga," they said in unison.

The man left, and May Lee stood by the two women, who were ushering her to a small, unoccupied part of the cave. The women worked swiiftly and silently, only muttering a few words to each other every so often. May Lee bit her lip to keep from crying. When the women looked as if they were almost done, May Lee wanted to at least try to talk to them before they left.

"Where am I?" she asked the woman who remained in the small cove, while the other went to retrieve some fresh water.

"Lord Kouga has taken you into his harem, temporarily or not, no one is for sure. You will remain here, at least until your wounds are healed," the woman said, without making any sort of eye contact at all.

"The man who brought me here, was that 'Lord Kouga'?" May Lee inquired.

"Indeed."


	7. Mynoaru

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form, own Inuyasha or any other characters.

**Chapter Seven: Mynoaru**

It was a normal day in the village. All seemed peaceful, until….

"Kagome, where is that stuff?"

"What stuff?" Kagome asked the inu-hanyou, who was sniffing around Kaeade's hut.

"You know. That stuff. That stuff that I like."

"You mean…the…" Kagome searched her mind for what Inuyasha was looking for. "The…" Kagome sighed, "Ramen noodles."

"Is that the yellow stuff?"

Another sigh. "Inuyasha…."

The hanyou lifted his face from the floor, where he had been sniffing. He slowly turned to see a _very_ angry Kagome. "Kagome…no…"

"Oswari!" Kagome shouted.

Inuyasha preformed a perfect face-plant, and managed to pry himself off the ground. "What the hell d'ya do that for?"

Kagome didn't say anything, but stormed out of the hut. Inuyasha slowly and warily followed.

Meanwhile…

May Lee sat in the small corner of the cave, inhaling stale air. It reeked like wet dogs. She didn't know how much longer she could take this. She felt like a prisoner, not a patient.

"Do you mind if I grab some fresh air?" May Lee asked. The woman looked like May Lee had just spoken a different language.

"Fresh air?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, you know? Um, fresh air. Going outside? Getting out of a smelly wolf den? That sort of fresh air." May Lee explained, hoping she didn't offend anyone by that last little bit.

The woman simply nodded, then walked over to a man standing by the entrance of the cave. She muttered a few words and gestured at May Lee. He nodded and walked over to May Lee. He grabbed her elbow, and led her out of the cave.

There was a beaten rocky trail that led down to the small pond and waterfall. The man let her go, but watched her closely. _Does he think I'm gonna run for it?_ May Lee wondered. _Does he think I _can_ run for it?_ Even though her leg felt much better, she couldn't outrun this man. She probably couldn't outrun him anyway, but if she hadn't been injured, she might have tried.

"I'll take it from here," said a gruff voice from behind her.

May Lee turned around to see the man who had brought her here, 'Lord Kouga' speaking to her guard. The guard nodded, and with three leaps, was up the hill.

Kouga didn't say anything, but just stood watching her intently, as the other man had. May Lee decided that she wasn't going to spend her precious outside time worrying about a man who was watching her. She decided to ignore him, if he had something to say, he could say it. May Lee found a nice rock by the water's edge to sit down on.

"What did they tell you?" the man said suddenly.

"Who?" May Lee said, and confusion covered her face.

"The northern wolf tribe, where you came from."

_He must mean the men who kidnapped me, and brought me here…should I tell him? What if I'm just a source of information…and they'll just kill me after that too…'cause they won't need me, will they?_

"Why do you want to know?" May Lee searched.

"The northern pack and eastern pack are sworn enemies."

"And this is the eastern pack?" May Lee assumed.

"Yes. So, what did they tell you?" the man asked, obviously becoming impatient.

"Nothing." May Lee said quietly, but Kouga heard her, having supreme youkai hearing.

"I know they told you something. I know they wanted to use you as bait, to lure my men into an attack. What I can't figure out, is why they would use you to lure our armies into danger."

"They, uh, thought I was someone else."

"Who?" the man said, a little relieved he was getting somewhere, but frustrated at the same time, that he didn't really gain much information.

"Kagome."

"What do they want with Kagome!" Kouga burst out unexpectedly.

"I don't know… they said something about luring a wolf prince to the attack."

"A…wolf prince?" Kouga said, a little surprised.

"Yeah, why?"

"I am the wolf prince that they told you of," Kouga spoke solemnly.

"Oh, I, uh…sorry…." May Lee stuttered, she didn't know what to say.

"What else did they tell you?"

"What will you do with me, after I tell you? Will you just kill me, because you don't have any use for me anymore?" May Lee said, with more courage than she felt.

"Wh-what? Why..? No, I wouldn't kill you." Kouga said, taken by surprise.

"What would happen to me then?"

Kouga thought. _What will we do with her? I kept her here for her wounds to heal, and to get information out of her, but won't she want to leave? Or does she think she's going to stay? Do I want a human here in my harem, anyway? Well, why not? I would let Kagome in my harem, as my queen, so why not let this woman stay? What if she doesn't want to stay?_ _Would she want to be taken back to her home?_

"I would take you home, if you wanted. Or, I suppose you could stay here, if that's what you want."

"Oh," was all May Lee said.

"Why?"

"Just wondering," she said quietly, and turned her back to him, sitting on the rock, her knees tucked to her chest.

"Did they tell you anything else?"

"No, not really. I was supposed to stay on that cliff, you know, the one you chased me up? And-" May Lee was cut off.

"I didn't _chase _you up that hill." Kouga prostested.

"Oh, no? What would you call it then? 'Following me' while I was scared out of my wits?" May Lee retorted.

"You were….I mean….I scared you?" Kouga asked quietly.

"Well, yeah. I didn't know what you were going to do with me, I thought you were another one of them."

"Oh, I see." Kouga said a little distractedly. Without warning, Kouga knelt down, and sniffed around a little bit. _What is he doing!_ May Lee thought. _Who just starts sniffing the ground in the middle of a conversation? This guy's insane!_ May Lee thought to herself.

Kouga stood, brushed some dirt off of his shins, and sniffed the air once more. "They're here," he said, all too calmly.

"Who's here?"

Kouga didn't answer, but instead, picked May Lee up, and bounded up the hill toward the cave. He set her down, much more carefully than last time, even in his haste, and pushed her toward some men, coming at them. "You two." Kouga said, picking out two men from the group. "Take care of this girl. Guard her with your life. The rest of you, come with me."

The two assigned men took her to the far side of the cave, where a group of women and children were huddling together. May Lee recognized several of the women, the two who had taken care of her, one that had brought in some herbs to the other women, and another who had pulled a curious child away from her, She had muttered something about not staring… But these were four of nearly forty women, and their children, May Lee assumed.

From where she stood, May Lee could hear yelling men from outside, metal hitting metal, spears clashing with swords. Suddenly, a woman from behind her started screaming.

"Mynoaru! My son! He's gone!" came the horrible, terrified screams. May Lee turned to see the woman who had pulled that child away from her the other day…Mynoaru must be the boy. An image of the boy's smiling face flashed through her head, and May Lee instantly realized what shemust do. Though she may be a mere human, because of her inherited powers, she was much stronger than any of these women here.

May Lee waited for her chance. When the woman didn't stop crying, the two guards assigned to protect her left May Lee's side. One went to try to calm the woman down, while the other searched the cave carefully. The first man, who realized his efforts were futile, that he could not make a woman start crying over her lost son.

_She knows he's not in the cave, or else she wouldn't be crying…_ May Lee thought. Now that the second man had returned from his search in vain, they both stood over the woman, trying to subdue her.

"He'll show up, don't worry," said one of the men.

_That's what you say when someone loses a purse, or a jacket, not a child!_ May Lee thought, as she watched the woman become more and more upset. Another image of the young boy's face flashed through her mind, and May Lee bolted off, toward the cave's entrance. The pain in her leg was overcome by the will in her heart, and she raced into the bright sunlight. She heard the two men running after her, but soon she could no longer hear their footsteps behind her, the only thing she heard were the shouts and cries of men, killing and being killed.

When May Lee stopped her frantic run, as she got deeper into the battle. _If I were a curious kid, where would I go? Hmmm, well, I personally, would go back inside the cave, but, we're all different I guess…_

"Give it up, you're mine!" she heard men yelling, taunting one another, and her thoughts were broken. Then, out of the corner of her eye, May Lee saw a small figure running away from a vicious looking man. She tried to focus her vision on the pair, but this was harder than it may have sounded. Finally, she recognized the young boy that stood happily before her, just a few short hours ago. With all efforts left in her, May Lee ran after the boy and his pursuer.

With more agility than she thought she possessed, May Lee was able to get down the rocky slope fairly quickly. The boy seemed to be playing cat-mouse with the man, running around a large rock, changing directions every so often. The boy managed to dodge the man's grasp, whenever he neared, and because of the man's large size, he could not maneuver very nimbly.

When May Lee reached them, she could tell both the boy and the man were tiring. She didn't know what to do. Now that she had found the boy, she realized she had no plan or strategy to help him back to the cave. After standing and watching them for a few moments, trying desperately to think of a plan, she saw it. Her opportunity.

The boy slipped, on a wobbly rock, and fell to his hands and knees. She watched in horror, as the warrior advanced. May Lee jumped into the scene quickly, and threw herself over the boy's body. Almost sub-consciously, she released her green light, and the man was thrown back. He stood, and looked so bewildered, that he stared and ran in fear, from the strange ningen.

"Move!" she heard a man's familiar voice shout to her, and she saw another man rushing toward her and the boy. Quickly, May Lee scrambled to her feet, as did the boy. Grabbing him by the wrist, May Lee ran toward the cave, taking the fastest route that she knew of. In an instant, May Lee realized she was no longer running, but being lifted off the ground, by the back of her shirt. She looked up, and saw that man, the one who had brought her here, Kouga, carrying her in one hand, the boy in his other. Within moments, they had reached the mouth of the cave. There were two light _thump_s and the two assigned guards hurried over.

"I thought I told you to watch her." Kouga stated, a clear look of disgust on his face.

"We…I mean…he…well, she uh….she ran out, and then…." they stuttered.

Kouga said nothing else to the men, but grunted. Then, he turned to May Lee, "You ok?"

"I'm fine."

With that, Kouga leaped from the cave, back into battle. May Lee watched him go, but soon returned her attention to the boy sitting beside her. They both stood, brushing dirt and dust off of her, May Lee looked at the boy. He seemed to be all right. He had the scrapes on his hands and knees from the fall, but it was no more than May Lee's bicycle injuries, long ago.

"Are you ok?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah…thanks, for uh, you know, helping me," the boy said uncomfortably.

"Sure."

The boy walked slowly back to his mother, like a dazed deer. His mother covered him and embraced him, sobbing into his hair. She muttered words about how worried she had been, how angry she should be, how happy she was. Joy filled May Lee, knowing that she had played a role in bringing them back together.

May Lee walked back to where the others were, and noticed her leg didn't hurt at all. She looked down at it, to see it had almost completely healed, that it looked to be nothing but a minor scratch now. _What sort of medicine did they give me?_ May Lee thought, thinking that could be the only explanation for it's quick healing.

A few hours later, after the yelling and crying and shouting had stopped, men began to come back into the cave. Some were wounded, some were not, some carried dead soldiers. Women, mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives cried for the wounded, and the dead. The others, who were not grieving, busied themselves taking care of the wounded. May Lee noticed one of the women who had tended to her wound, helping a man with a deep cut across his chest. She approached the woman, who was wrapping the man's chest in a simple bandage.

"Teach me, please." May Lee said to the woman, who had nodded before, acknowledging her presence.

"Teach you what?" the woman asked, still wrapping the man's chest.

"To heal the wounded. Or do something, please, I want to help. I feel useless."

Before the woman could answer, a voice from behind her cut into the conversation. "Come, follow me."

May Lee turned to see 'Lord Kouga', who, thankfully, was not hurt. May Lee nodded, but did not say anything. The man turned to leave, and May Lee followed.

Special thanks to:

Demonic devils: you've review each chapter, faithfully, thank you.

Liz: this one I succeeded in making longer, yay!

Everyone else: ya'll need to review! Co'mon! you know you wanna. If I keep on getting scrawny reviews, I'm gonna like, protest or something… maybe…I won't write chapter eight until I have 20 reviews…co'mon guys, it's only four more! You can do it!


	8. Lian Qiao!

Disclaimer: I do not own in any way, shape or form, Inuyasha or any of the other characters.

**Chapter Eight: Lian Qiao!**

"Inuyasha! Wait for us!" Shippo called.

"Well, if Kagome didn't go so slow, we could make better time!" Inuyasha retorted.

The group looked at Inuyasha in shock, and then to Kagome, expecting a word, then, a face-plant. But all that came was a cam response.

"Why, Inuyasha, do you make everything my fault?" Kagome asked.

"Because it _is_ your fault! If you hadn't interfered, the Shikon Jewel would still be whole!" Inuyasha shouted, but quickly sobered, as the words rang through the group, and hit Kagome like a knife's edge.

"Oh, really! Well, if it weren't for me, you would still be stuck to that tree!" Kagome shot back.

"Well…." Inuyasha sputtered for a come-back.

While he stood dumb-founded, Kagome stomped past, head held high. "Is this fast enough?" she muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah…"

"Inuyasha…oswari." Kagome stated simply.

The hanyou kissed the ground, with a hard, _THUD!_

"Inuyasha, when will you learn?" Miroku said sadly, shaking his head.

The rest of the group jogged briefly to catch up with a very disturbed Kagome.

"Kagome…I…uh…." Inuyasha wanted to apologize, but his pride wouldn't let him.

"No wonder May Lee left. I don't know how people can stand that guy," Shippo commented, perched on Miroku's shoulder.

"May Lee…?" Sango said, remembering the new girl, who she had met nearly two days ago. "What happened to her?"

Kagome stopped. _Did we really all forget about her?_ Then Kagome thought back, this morning, the girl was gone, she assumed that she and Inuyasha were killing each other, but when Inuyasha showed up later, was she _that_ relieved that she completely forgot about her friend? "Where, did she go?" Kagome asked, worry filled her voice.

"Who cares? She probably went back to that old hag's house, Kimar…something like that…" Inuyasha said in his normal 'I don't care' tone.

"How could we have left without her?" Sango asked, and stood by Kagome, where all of the group stood, in a semi-circle, except Inuyasha, who stood outside of the circle, arms folded.

"Well, she said she was gonna go look for that phantom horse…" the half youkai said.

"Why didn't you go after her!" Miroku, Kagome, Sango and Shippo asked in unison.

"Wh-what? It's not my fault she ran off."

"Inuyasha, May Lee doesn't know these lands, remember? What if she's lost?" Sango said, worry began to fill her voice as well.

The group stood in silence for a while and each thought about what they should do.

"Shouldn't we go find her?" Miroku asked, he would have much liked it if there were _three_ girls he could grope.

"I guess we should," Sango agreed.

"Feh," was all Inuyasha said.

"Don't you think so, Kagome?" Miroku asked. She had been silent for a long while.

"Hmm?" Kagome asked, brought beack to reality, she had been thinking about May Lee and the phantom horse. Was there really a phantom horse to find? "Oh, yes. We should." Kagome said, and began to walk back to Kaeade's village.

"What!" Inuyasha was clearly disappointed.

"Inuyasha, she's our responsibility now. It's still early, and we're close enough to the village to find out where she is," Kagome explained.

"Fine," was all Inuyasha said, and folded his arms, pouting.

Later…far away…

May Lee followed Kouga to the pool of water where they had talked earlier. May Lee stood, unsure of what to do, or why he brought her here. Since she wanted to help, she figured he was going to show her herbs or something to use, but why not let a nursemaid do that?

"You," as Kouga spoke, May Lee was jolted back to the conversation, away from her wandering mind. "You risked your life, to save the boy by the name of Mynoaru."

"Um, I…." May Lee didn't know how to respond to the wolf demon's statement.

"Why?" Kouga asked, ignoring May Lee's confusion.

"I, uh, I don't know. I felt sorry for his mother, she was so worried, and I guess…well, I don't know really." May Lee sought the right words.

"Well, I'm glad you did, over months past, I have become rather fond of the boy."

"Oh, you're his father then?" May Lee wondered.

"No. I have no mate, I rule this tribe alone, though many times I have asked Kagome to rule by my side."

"You're…in love with Kagome?" May Lee was shocked. She didn't take this demon for a human-loving one.

"Hardly," were the only words muttered by the wolf demon.

There was a long, strained silence between the human girl and the youkai.

"I…uh, I'll go get some herbs, to help the wounded soldiers," May Lee suggested.

"I should come with you, to make sure nothing happens, there still might be soldiers lurking around here."

"Okay, do you know any of the plants around here?" May Lee asked, hoping to start a light conversation.

"No, why would I? That's what the nursemaids and women are for."

"Well, what do you do then, if you leave all the work to the women? Besides get in fights?" May Lee disputed.

"What! What's that supposed to mean? I protect the whole tribe, isn't that enough?"

"Sure it is, but you don't do that all by yourself, do you?"

"Well, no, I mean, my soldiers help me…" Kouga sputtered for an excuse.

There was another silence. Both of them thought separately, until Kouga spoke up.

"What is your name?"

"Huh?" May Lee thought a minute, then realized that she had never told the man her name. "My name is May Lee."

"Oh, uh, I'm Kouga," the wolf prince replied.

"Why do all the women at the cave call you 'Lord Kouga'?" May Lee asked.

"Well, because. I'm their leader, so they treat me with respect."

May Lee decided to change the subject, and recognized a fern-like plant. "Look! Here's some Lian Qiao! This will help the men who have infected wounds…We should get a lot of this."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, back, where I came from, I studied plants a lot, so I know a lot about them," May Lee explained.

"Oh."

As May Lee plucked some healthy looking Bayberry leaves, Kouga thought. _Where does she want to go? I know her wounds are practically healed now, and I don't need her as a source of information anymore, so, won't she want to go home? Where exactly is she from? She was kidnapped by the northern wolf tribe, but where will she return to?_

"May Lee?"

"Hmmm?"

"Where… I mean….Don't you want to go home?" Kouga asked, trying to tread carefully.

"I…don't know, I don't really have much of a home to go home to, unless I want to go back," May Lee thought. _Where will I go? Kouga obviously doesn't want me to hang around more than I need to._

"Where did you come from?"

Over the next half hour, May Lee explained, about how she had fallen into the well, wound up in the feudal era, inherited Etlanshina's powers, found Conan, gotten kidnapped, and found Kouga.

"Wow," was all Kouga could say. Then a thought entered his mind. "Won't Inuyasha and the others come looking for you?"

"I don't think they know where I am," May Lee answered.

"Inuyasha could find you though, with his disgusting puppy scent ability."

"You don't like Inuyasha?" May Lee inquired.

"Hell no."

"Why not? I mean, I know when I first met him, I didn't like him either, but he seems like an okay guy." May Lee resoned.

"Because Kagome is in love with him." Kouga said, but instantly regretted in doing so.

May Lee was silent. She didn't say anything, for fear of hurting Kouga's feelings. She knew he was going to pretend to be tough, so she didn't want to bother with the emotional balance.

As a gentle breeze blew, Kouga caught some of May Lee's sweet scent. For some reason, he found comfort in it, and it consoled him. Kouga too, remained silent, and as if they read each other's minds, both got up, and began to walk back to the cave, since it was getting dark. May Lee carried the Lian Qiao and Bayberry, and Kouga walked by her side.

When they arrived back at the cave, it was dark, and no moon shone in the sky. Before they entered the cave, May Lee stole a glance at the sky, where the bright stars were scattered about.

Noticing her hesitation, Kouga turned to May Lee. "Is something wrong?"

Snapping out of her gaze, May Lee also turned to Kouga. "Oh, no, I was just admiring the stars."

"Oh."

"Don't you think they're beautiful?" she asked him.

"No. How can a star be beautiful?"

Shocked momentarily, May Lee looked a Kouga like he was crazy. _How can he not think that a moonless night is beautiful? Just look at the stars….probably a dysfunctional childhood._ "Well, it's not like other things…Stars. They're unique. Look at that one, see?" May Lee pointed. "It's bigger, and brighter than this one" May Lee pointed again. "But that little one is going to get bigger and brighter too. Sometimes, I just lay down and watch the stars. When you look at them long enough, they really do twinkle."

"Huh?" Kouga wasn't sure he understood, but decided to try to stare at a star. He picked out one star, to focus his sight on. After about ten seconds, it began to contract and expand. _They are kinda pretty…_ he thought.

"Kinda cool, huh?" May Lee asked.

"Yeah…"

After staring at the stars for a few more seconds, Kouga spoke again. "You need to get some sleep. You're probably pretty tired."

"Yeah," May Lee agreed, and yawned to make her point. "Where exactly will I sleep?" May Lee questioned.

"Uh, follow me."

Kouga lead May Lee to a spot in the cave close to the entrance, but it had a nice, cozy little nook, carved in the wall. May Lee sat down on the floor, and looked up, expecting to see Kouga standing above her. Instead, he was no where to be seen. She heard muffled footsteps from the back of the cave, and some muttering voices, that she couldn't make out, though, she thought for sure one was Kouga's. Moments later, Kouga returned.

"Here." He said and tossed her a blanket. "I thought you might get cold."

"Thanks," May Lee said gratefully.

"No problem." Kouga replied, then, said, "Well, g'night."

"Good night. Sweet dreams Kouga."

Kouga paused at her words, but continued to walk out of the cave, where he was going to sit with the other warriors and talk. _She called me Kouga…only the other men call me that…and Kagome, but she doesn't count. Hmm…_ he thought as he walked towards his comrades.

Meanwhile…

"Inuyasha, we should stop, since tonight's the night of thenew moon," Kagome called to Inuyasha, who had continued to walk, after Sango and Miroku had finally settled on a campsite.

"Feh." Inuyasha returned to where his friends stood. "I thought you wanted to find the wench."

"We do, but it's your time of the month, so take it easy," Kagome articulated.

"Hmph."

"Sango, let's go get some firewood," Miroku suggested.

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea, it's getting dark," Sango agreed.

After their friends left, Inuyasha and Kagome say down by the plave where the fire soon would be.

"I hope she's okay," Kagome said.

"Who? Sango?" Inuyasha asked.

"May Lee."

"Oh." Inuyasha hesitated a moment and then said, "She'll be fine," trying his best to sound supportive and reassuring.

"I just, I feel like it's my fault." Kagome said, her voice cracked a little, indicating that she was beginning to get upset. That was the last thing Inuyasha wanted. He hated it when Kagome was down, which wasn't very often.

Inuyasha slid a little closer to where Kagome sat, her legs pulled to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. "It's not your fault, okay?"

Kagome nodded, but said nothing.

Back with Kouga and May Lee…

Kouga sat down with his comrades, who were talking about the battle earlier.

"Oh, yeah, well, I knocked out this massive one, must've been 10 feet tall!" a warrior lied. No one ever told the truth after a battle… all lies about how many were killed, how big, how strong they were. All lies.

"Hey Kouga!" Ginta greeted him.

"Hey, what was the deal with that girl, in the battle?" Hakkaku asked, having heard about the human girl, who fended off a demon and saved a young boy.

"Huh? Oh, you mean May Lee." Kouga realized what his companions were talking about.

"Is that her name?" Ginta and Hakkaku asked, interested.

"Yeah, what about her?" Kouga replied.

"Well, we were talking with the healers, after visiting some of the wounded, and we asked where you were, she said that you took that human girl and ran off, so, we got curious…" Hakkaku explained.

"So, Kouga, what exactly happened with you two, hmm?" Ginta questioned.

"Nothing like that, so you two can drop it, we collected herbs, and that's all," Kouga said, offensively.

"Well, then, I guess you wouldn't mind if I made her my woman, then?" Hakkaku inquired, smirking.

"Don't even think about it," Kouga said, more protective of the mortal girl than he thought.

"Ha! I knew it!" Ginta rejoiced, with a smug look on his face.

"You don't know anything, so shut your mouth," Kouga warned him, and continued, "Anyway, I'm taking her back to wherever she came from tomorrow."

"Why?" Ginta and Hakkaku, again, said in unison.

"She doesn't belong here, with us."

"She saved Mynoaru, though, don't you think she deserves a courtesy stay? I mean, I know that you favor that kid, if it weren't for her, he'd be dead…" Ginta trailed off.

"So, what's your point?"

"My point, is that she shouldn't have to leave if she doesn't want to, you owe her," Ginta rationalized, which was very out of character.

"_I _owe _her?_ I saved her life, on numerous occasions, _she_ should owe _me_." Kouga defended himself.

"Whatever, but if she does stay, can I make her my woman?" Hakkaku asked again.

_Thunk!_ was the only answer he got. Hakkaku rubbed his head, where there was a rising lump.

From somewhere near the mouth of the cave, May Lee's heart ached. _'She doesn't belong here, with us…'_ rang through her head, over and over.

_Why should _I_ be offended? It's not like I was planning to stay or anything…It's not like I _wanted_ to stay, right? No, I didn't. I was going to go help Inuyasha and Kagome find the sacred jewel shards, from the Shikon no Tama. But, if they've forgotten about me, what's the point? '_She doesn't belong here, with us_'…_ May Lee's head swirled with thoughts. She felt some moisture, on her cheek, and lifted her hand to wipe the tear from her face.

Alright, guys, I know, I updated before I got 20 reviews, but I just _had_ to write the next chapter, it was killing me. So, yeah. But I won't write chapter 9 until I get 21 reviews. Co'mon! Reviews make me write faster, and better. So, REVIEW! And you better want Chapter 9, cuz that's when I add a little bit of fluff, and a little bit of Sesshy. So, review. I'm trying to think of a way to fit Kikyou into all of this, I've got a couple ideas, but, that's gonna be on like, chapter 20…lol jk. Assuming you guys review enough to get me to chapter 20.

**Special thanks to:**

Demonic Devils: My faithful reviewer, after every chapter…huggles

Liz-chan: Another faithful reviewer. glomps


	9. Skipping Rocks

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own Inuyasha or any of the other characters. Need I be reminded?

Sorry for not updating in so long guys! Thanks for all the reviews too! I think I made this chapter a little longer...don't forget to R&R!

**Chapter 9: Skipping Rocks**

"Inuyasha…? Are you still awake?" Kagome whispered.

"Yeah, why?" Inuyasha said, trying to sound like his uncaring, normal self, but it wasn't often that Kagome woke him up in the middle of the night. Not that he had been asleep.

"You really think she's okay?" Kagome's voice was filled with worry, and guilt.

The human form of Inuyasha could not smell the despair, looming around her. He had never seen Kagome this sad or worried for….well, never. "Yeah, quit worrying, will ya?"

Kagome didn't respond, but instead, wiggled out of her sleeping bag, and slid out of the tent, into the moonless night.

The hanyou followed without hesitation, but found himself entwined in his futon. Inuyasha twisted, turned and flailed about in his sheets. Miroku was awakened by a smack on the face, surprisingly from Inuyasha, and not for being a pervert.

Finally, once Inuyasha had extricated himself from the contraption, he stalked out of the tent. It was unexpectedly silent, considering the ruckus he previously caused. Sango and Miroku, even though they were awakened by Inuyasha's fit, stayed in the tent, to talk among themselves.

"Miroku, do you think Kagome's ok? She was really quiet today," Sango asked, worried about the girl who had become so close to her over the past many moons. Sango considered her a sister to her, like Souta thought of Inuyasha.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, once we find May Lee, and she realizes that everything is okay," Miroku reassured her.

"Well, I hope May Lee is okay too. She seemed to be so close to Kagome," Sango wondered out loud. In truth, the demon slayer was a bit jealous. The girl, May Lee, did indeed seem to be very close to Kagome. Sango feared she would be replaced. _You're being stupid. Kagome loves you, you're like sisters._ She comforted herself. _Anyway, she'll have to go back to her own time, and things can go back to the way they were. Just you, Miroku, Kirara, Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo._

"Sango, are you okay?" Miroku asked, now _he _was worried, but not about May Lee. He worried for Sango, the secret love of his life.

"Hmmm. I'm fine," Sango lied.

"Are you worried that May Lee will come between you and Kagome?" He asked her, though, if she said yes, no words came to his mind to comfort her.

Sango didn't say anything. If she said no, she'd be covering her feelings, but it would sound insensitive too. If she said yes, Miroku would try to make her feel better, which wasn't what she needed right now.

The monk sensed her uneasiness, and decided to drop the subject.

**Outside the tent:**

"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha said, as he approached. He was sure that she knew he was there, but he felt in necessary to announce his presence.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered. Inuyasha couldn't rely on his youkai nose to smell her fear, but he could see it, all around her. Why did she worry about this girl so much? It's not like she was dead or anything. Just….lost.

"I'm here," he replied, he hoped to calm her with his presence, and soothe her uneasy spirits.

Kagome eased herself down to the ground, and leaned against a giant tree trunk. She looked blankly at the earth before her, lost in thought.

Inuyasha lowered himself to the ground as well, and found that he was sitting closer to Kagome than he had expected. Normally, he would never sit this close, and Kagome wouldn't either…how he hated when he turned to a full human. His sight, depth perception, smell, everything was distorted. Inuyasha re-focused his thoughts on Kagome. "Hey, don't worry 'bout it. 'kay?"

A silent tear slid down Kagome's cheek. Inuyasha almost reached to brush it off, but did not move. The young girl let the moisture drip from her face, onto her shirt, where it was quickly absorbed by the soft cotton. Her eyes sparkled with the wetness of the tears, and for once, Inuyasha was grateful for his human form. He did not want to smell Kagome's sadness, or the salt of her tears.

Kagome looked at the black haired boy, here to save her, once again. "Oh, Inuyasha….this is all _my _fault…" Kagome said, her voice was anguished. She seemed to shrink as she drew her knees to her chest, and hovered over her legs, sobbing.

Inuyasha swallowed his pride for once. Kagome's happiness to him, was more important than his egotistical nature. He didn't mind getting sat, to save his pride, but never, ever, would he sacrifice Kagome's happiness. Inuyasha laid his arms around Kagome's shaking shoulders, and pulled her close to him, hugging her.

Kagome leaned into Inuyasha's chest, breathing in his smell. She cried to her heart's content, and Inuyasha, was pleased he was able to ease Kagome's distressed mind.

**A cave of wolves, somewhere in the distance…**

May Lee was able to stop the words from echoing in her mind, though they still repeated themselves, every so often. _'She does not belong here, with us'_

May Lee's attitude toward the situation had changed over, many times. When she was mad at Kouga for saying those things, she tried to reason with herself: _It's not his fault he doesn't think you belong here. You don't. They're demons, you're just a girl. He didn't say it to be mean, he just said what he thought, and he's right._ When she was sad, she tried to comfort herself: _Well, Kagome and Inuyasha will come and get you soon. It's not like you wanted to stay here, right? So, when they find you, you can leave, and everything will go back to normal._

May Lee slept in fits, unaccustomed to the hard rock wall that she leaned on, or the itchy bear hide that covered her. May Lee dozed off, she had bored herself by watching a small beetle walk by. When she awoke again, she was disappointed to see that the beetle was no more than two feet away.

May Lee listened carefully, for any noise coming from the men outside. She heard none, and waited for what she thought was about thirty minutes. Not a single sound. May Lee quietly pushed herself off of the ground and made her way to the cave's mouth. She looked out and saw all the soldiers, sleeping by the bonfire they had created. Some, held empty bottles of saké in their hands.

_Drunks._ May Lee thought. She was somewhat disappointed that even in the feudal ages of Japan, some still couldn't hold their liquor.

Quietly, May Lee made her way down the rocky crag, near the pool of water where she had talked with Kouga before. She thought back to when they gathered herbs, which seemed like ages ago, instead of a few short hours.

Kouga was awakened by the sound of a pebble, hitting water. The light _plunk!_ had triggered his sensitive youkai hearing. Instinctivly, Kouga made his way to the only water hole near here. Stealthily, he maneuvered between big boulders and small rocks, as he made his way down the hill toward the small pond. To the wolf prince's surprise, it was no intruder that he saw at the water's edge. It was May Lee. _What is she doing here? Humans don't wake at these hours._ Kouga told himself. For a brief moment, he thought perhaps it was someone else. But as a gentle breeze blew her scent to his nostrils, he knew it could be no one but her. Her scent lingered for a moment, before it was carried on, but Kouga enjoyed the warmth it brought to his body, before it was blown away. He was brought back to the situation at hand, and decided the best thing to do was make known his presence. He was sure she didn't know he was watching her, since she had nothing more than mortal ears and nose.

"You shouldn't be out here," Kouga said, more gruffly than he intended for it to sound. He knew that humans were especially fragile creatures, particularly, the females. He thought briefly of Kagome, before scolding himself and wiping the image from his mind.

Startled, May Lee spun around and threw a pebble at Kouga, before she realized who it was. Fortunately, May Lee was a bad shot, and Kouga, a quick dodger. May Lee watched the pebble hit the ground and roll a distance before she looked up to meet Kouga's gaze. "Sorry. I didn't know it was you…"

"It's fine." Kouga said briefly. "Like I said, you shouldn't be out here." Kouga tried to look like he was scolding her, but failed miserably. He had the odd feeling that he had no right to scold or chastise this young woman whom had chanced upon his life.

"I couldn't sleep," May Lee informed him and crossed her arms before adding, "And you don't have to treat me like a child. I can take care of myself."

"I doubt it," Kouga muttered and looked away from May Lee's intense glare.

"What was that?" May Lee challenged Kouga's intended incoherent statement, which undoubtedly had something to do with her ability to watch over herself.

Kouga decided to drop the subject, because he knew there was no way he could possibly win in an argument with this stubborn human. He looked May Lee up and down, and couldn't help thinking how funny she looked when she was being defensive. The wolf prince chuckled lightly, at the sight of an oddly dressed, human girl, with a handful of rocks, her arms crossed, wearing a face that was meant to be serious.

"What are you laughing at?" May Lee said, though she desperately tried to sound stern, Kouga's laughter was contagious. The young girl soon found herself smiling, and playfully tossed a pebble at him. As she had predicted, the small rock came no where near striking range of the young wolf demon.

Kouga could not suppress it much longer and allowed himself a light laugh. The girl's aim really was awful. "You," Kouga replied, in answer to her question. In an instant, Kouga was standing five feet from May Lee and gathered up two pebbles of his own. He looked at the small rocks in his palm and looked up again at May Lee, who now had her laughter under control. "What were you doing with these, anyway?"

May Lee looked to see what the wolf demon held in his hands. They were pebbles, much like the ones in her own hands. "I was skipping rocks," May Lee told him, even though she knew she wasn't really "_skipping_" rocks. She was more like "_throwing_ rocks into the lake". She was no good at skipping rocks, and she knew it. Then May Lee wondered if they skipped rocks in the feudal era. Surely they did…

Kouga looked slightly puzzled at the phrase "skipping rocks". "What's that?" he asked, naively.

"You mean, you don't know what skipping rocks is?" May Lee asked, astonished. She thought for sure that skipping rocks was an ancient thing…something done since before time. Maybe it was, and Kouga had never skipped rocks before.

The wolf youkai remained silent, feeling a little dim-witted for not knowing anything about "skipping rocks". This was obviously common knowledge where this girl came from.

May Lee noticed Kouga's lack of speech and sudden tenseness, so she decided to wave the whole thing off and try to explain what skipping rocks was. "See, skipping rocks is…well…hard to explain. Anyway, just try it. Go like this." May Lee told him as she threw a rock at the water wit ha sideways flick of her wrist, and sent it sailing. The pebble however, did not jump across the water like it was supposed to, but instead, made the familiar _plunk!_ noise that Kouga had heard earlier. May Lee turned back to where Kouga stood, and watched the ripples that the pebble's disturbance had caused. Now if was his turn to look at her in disbelief, as May Lee blushed a light shade of crimson.

"Was it supposed to do that?" Kouga asked, even though he was pretty sure that the rock was supposed to do something special. If that was all that "skipping rocks" was, then May Lee's generation was not quite as intelligent as Kouga once thought.

"Well, um…not really. See, it was supposed to bounce over the water. But, I'm not very good at it." May Lee explained.

Kouga wasn't really sure how you could make a rock _bounce_ on water. So he just threw his into the water, similar to what May Lee did. The two rocks made a familiar _plunk!_ and made a small splash each. Seeing the little disturbance that the small rocks caused, Kouga grinned mischievously and picked up a bigger rock, the size of two cupped hands.

The wolf prince slyly tossed the rock into the pool of water, which caused a large splash.

May Lee, who stood at the water's edge, near the location that the rock landed, was splattered with water from her waist down. She turned to the wolf demon who was smiling innocently, and pretended to be angry. "You did that on purpose!" she accused him, and removed her light brown loafers and tall socks, revealing her bare feet. After putting her socks and shoes in a relatively dry place, she daintily, she made her way to the shore, the rocks pricking her tender feet.

While the human girl made her way to the water's edge, Kouga wondered what she was doing. Curious, he took two steps closer, before stopping, as he watched May Lee walk _into_ the water, up to the middle of her shins. Kouga knew that to a mere human, the water must be fridgid, though it would hardly effect a strong youkai like himself. _Inuyasha wouldn't think the water was cold…_ Kouga told himself. He quickly scolded himself for allowing that ignorant half-breed to get the better of his thoughts. But some part of Kouga couldn't help comparing himself to Inuyasha, always the little question lurked in the depths of his mind: _What does _he _have that I don't?_

The wolf demon was jolted from his thoughts as he was pelted with cold water droplets. He looked up to see May Lee smiling, as she hovered over the pool, before she bent down and shoveled more water at him. Kouga looked at his almost soaked attire before looking up at May Lee again. She straightened from her crouching position, and smiled innocently at him. The wolf youkai figured this was her way of payback, and was instantly caught up in the splashing game they had started. Kouga jumped into the water and began splashing May Lee back.

May Lee was drenched instantly, but continued to hurdle water at Kouga. Unfortunately for May Lee, the wolf demon's speed allowed him to dodge the water, time and time again. When Kouga and May Lee stopped, after about two minutes, a by-stander would see a young human girl, soaked to the skin, and a wolf demon, who, compared to the girl, was very dry.

"No fair," May Lee mock-complained.

"Sure it is," Kouga protested teased. He couldn't help but start laughing. May Lee really was a sight to see. Her hair was plastered to her face and in her eyes. Her sleeves clung to her arms and whenever she moved she made a _swish!_ noise.

May Lee watched as the wolf youkai tried to contain his laughter, making an occasional snorting noise. Slowly, she made her way over to where the wolf demon stood. The freezing cold water was up to her waist and May Lee had to bite her lip to keep her teeth from chattering. When she stood close to two feet away from the semi-dry demon, she extended her arms to his shoulders, and pushed.

Taken by surprise, Kouga found himself falling backwards, where he was met by a rush of cool water. Sputtering, the wolf demon rose from the water. "What was that for?"

Now it was May Lee's turn to giggle. Kouga's long, black hair was a mess. His crystal-blue eyes were clouded with confusion. _Does he think he did something wrong? Kami, some people can't take a joke._ May Lee thought, but despite her attempted seriousness, continued to giggle.

Seeing that May Lee had taken revenge on him for getting her wet, he also began to laugh. Neither Kouga or May Lee knew how long they stood in the cold water, laughing. May Lee was almost doubled over, and held her sides to comfort her aching stomach.

From somewhere behind them, Kouga picked up the sound of snickering. His smile quickly faded, and in one massive leap, was standing by a large rock, near the bottom of the crag.

From where May Lee stood, she could only see Kouga, with a deadly scowl on his face, peering behind a rather large rock, about 10 feet away from the water's shore. May Lee was uncertain of what she should do, but she called out to Kouga anyway. "K-Kouga? Is something the matter?"

Kouga paid no heed to the confused girl behind him, who was making her way out of the water to retrieve her socks and shoes. Instead, he put his hands on his hips, and snarled, "What are you _two_ doing here?"

May Lee slipped her socks and loafers back on, which was somewhat difficult, considering her wet feet made the socks stick to her skin. Avoiding deep holes and wobbly rocks, May Lee finally managed to make her way to the other side of the rock. She saw Kouga frowning at two young men, crouching behind the rock. _Who are they? _May Lee asked herself.

"Well….see..uh..K-Kouga…we-" one started, but was cut off by the other.

"We were just….uh….going for a walk…"

"Yeah, a walk!" the other chimed in.

It was apparent to May Lee that they had been spying on her and Kouga. _But why?_ she wondered. Neither of the two men had turned around and seen her, so she assumed that they didn't know she was there. "Who are you?" she asked the two men before her.

At the sound of someone else's voice behind them, Ginta and Hakkaku jumped. Quickly, the young wolf demons spun around. Before them they saw the human girl, who had somewhat befriended Kouga, soaked to the bone. Her hair looked a little better than it had before, it was tamed and flowing in the directions it was supposed to, but since she had gotten it wet and hadn't brushed it, it was in clumps of wet strands.

"_That_ is Ginta and Hakkaku," Kouga said brusquely from the other side of the rock, making the two scared wolf demons jump again.

"Oh. Hi, I'm May Lee," she told the two, who didn't jump, but were slightly unnerved. May Lee's words sounded kind enough, but it was Kouga's reaction to their presence that they feared.

Hakkaku, who found the girl attractive, decided to take his chance at introducing himself. "I'm Hakkaku," he said warmly, before adding rather dully, "and that's Ginta."

Kouga saw right away what Hakkaku was doing, and hit him over the head. The wolf prince crossed his arms in annoyance of his two pesky friends.

"Kouga, that wasn't very nice!" May Lee scolded him. She had no idea why Kouga just randomly hit one of his friends in the head. _If you lived in _my _time, you wouldn't have any friends, behaving like that._ She thought.

"What? What did I do!" Kouga said, trying to sound macho, but instead sounded whiny, like Shippo or Inuyasha.

"You shouldn't just hit people for no reason! All he did was tell me his _name_!" May Lee retorted, in a much similar fashion to when Kagome was about to 'sit' Inuyasha.

"Humph."

Ginta and Hakkaku snickered at the measly human's control over Kouga, and almost instantly we greeting by a _thump_ on the head, courtesy of Kouga.

May Lee walked away, arms crossed. Instead of making her way back up the crag, toward the cave, she decided to take a walk in the woods.

"I can't believe him! He…he…rrrr!" May Lee complained about Kouga's behavior to herself. As she walked through the forest, she was aware that a dark cloud loomed overhead. It was dark enough as it was, being a moonless night, and now, without even the starlight to guide her, May Lee stopped. She felt around in the dark to find a tree. _I'll just stay here for a while and wait for the cloud to pass…_ May Lee thought. Little did she know…

The tai youkai watched the pitiful human stumble around blindly in the dark. _With nothing and no one here to protect her, this will be easier than I thought…_ Sesshomaru thought. With his lightning youkai speed, he was at the girl in an instant. _She still does not know I am here, how pathetic._ Sesshomaru grabbed the girl's right wrist, to ensure that she could not use her green light.

Feeling someone grab her wrist suddenly, May Lee screamed. "Let go of me!" she yelled at her attacker and struggled to get free of his grasp. But it was to no avail, and she felt herself being lifted off the ground. "Help! Hel-" May Lee was cut off by a hand around her throat. Within moments, she felt the world get darker than it already was, the last thing she saw, was a glimpse of silver hair.

Author's Note:

Okay guys...I need reviews...or you may never find out what happens...wouldn't that be awful!

Anyways, here's my special thanks:

Liz: Woot! Look how long I made this one! glomps again

Demonic Angelz: My faithful reviewer...I'm sorry I made you wait for this chapter!

B.D. Gerrtetson: Thanks for the review!

Icygirl2: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

Specilizeninjas4EVER: Thanks! I'm sorry I waited so long to update!

aGreatPenName: yay! Thanks so much for your review! I know this isn't a lot of Sesshy yet, but there will be more...and Naraku too! o.O

Bye! Remember to review, and it'll make me write faster!

Oh, by the way, I decided to kinda copy one of my favorite author's idea, and put a question at the end of each chapter, and see if you can answer it...so, this chapter's question is:

**What in-animate object was Yura, of the demon hair? (episode #4)**

Bye! Have a great week! Don't forget to review and try to answer the question! Good luck!


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